The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1330

At the same time, Stella sensed a distinct air of dislike from the woman standing before her.

Harold and Jake exchanged uneasy glances.

Having weathered so many storms, Stella wasn't about to be flustered by a simple slight. She withdrew her hand with a calm smile, showing no sign of embarrassment.

Ms. Quinn watched her, a strange light flickering in her eyes. Not bad. She could keep her composure.

"Ms. Quinn," Stella asked, "may I ask what illness Joshua had before?"

Given her attitude, Stella half-expected to be ignored. But to her surprise, the woman answered, her reply as crisp and direct as ever.

"Insomnia-induced psychiatric disorders. When triggered, he would lose control of his actions."

She paused, as if remembering something, then added, "I believe you've witnessed it, Ms. Cameron. But you were lucky. What you saw was the best possible outcome of his treatment."

*The best possible outcome?*

Stella's heart clenched. If that was him at his best, what was he like at his worst?

"Now that Joshua is out of danger, I'll be leaving," Ms. Quinn said, turning to Harold and Jake. "Take good care of him. Contact me if you need anything."

With a polite nod in Stella's direction, she swept out of the room.

Stella watched her go, a strange feeling stirring within her. "Was she Joshua's psychiatrist?" she asked.

"Sort of, but not really," Harold said. "Joshua used to get into a lot of fights and was often injured. She was the one who treated his wounds."

She became completely absorbed in her work, losing all track of time as the sky outside darkened to black. A glance at her watch showed that over three hours had passed. She had even forgotten to eat dinner.

As Stella stood up to stretch, she remembered Joshua, still lying in the hospital bed. She instinctively looked over at him—and met a pair of clear, dark eyes.

She froze, unable to believe it for a few seconds. She thought she must be seeing things.

Holding her breath, she whispered his name, afraid it was all just a dream.

"Joshua?"

A slow smile curved the man's lips. "That painting you just made," he said, his voice raspy but clear, "it's beautiful."